They "decide what they put on the shelves": large-scale distribution in the sights of sustainable food associations

"Lagging behind" in the food transition, according to a major study published in mid-May by the Climate Action Network (RAC), the retail giants are seeing their model criticized, having been accused by several associations, including Foodwatch on Thursday, of "selling out" consumers' health by focusing their promotions on products that are too fatty, too sweet, or too salty.

This model "based on low prices and high volumes, is not capable of integrating the challenges of the food transition" , explains Charlie Brocard, food researcher at the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations.

However, the heavyweights in the sector insist that they are aware of the issues and are making efforts. Carrefour, for example, assures that it has "made the food transition for all its raison d'être" .

Leclerc, often one of the most criticized by various surveys and reports - with a score of 4.5 out of 20 awarded by the RAC in its report on the ecological transition of large-scale distribution - announced in mid-April that it was launching its own carbon indicator for its private labels.

But between the price wars being waged by Leclerc, Carrefour, Intermarchés and Lidl, the "very low margins" and the "lack of growth" in the sector, the context makes any change of model towards a more virtuous form "complicated" without "weakening the economic model" , says Remy Gerin, director of the Mass Consumption chair at Essec.

The influence of large-scale retailers on food consumption is considerable: according to the FCD (Supermarket Employers' Federation), food in large stores generates nearly 200 billion euros in annual turnover.

"Consumer Responsibility"

But the big brands "decide what they put on the shelves, set the prices, decide which items they put on sale," Remy Gerin points out.

The preponderance of red meat and prepared meals to the detriment of plant-based foods is, for example, one of the criticisms that comes up most often in surveys by NGOs and associations.

" By focusing on promoting certain foods - healthy, unprocessed, vegetarian products - distributors would be able to create markets ," according to Charlie Brocard, who uses the example of organic products. "When distributors withdrew from organic products, sales fell. This shows their real power over demand," explains the researcher.

"Of course we are fully aware of our responsibility in this, but it is not unique," Dominique Schelcher, CEO of the U Cooperative, reacted on RTL on Friday.

"There is the responsibility of the consumer himself, ours, perhaps that of the media who sometimes advertise these products. So it is a collective responsibility where everyone must play their part," he judged.

This is also the point of view of Layla Rahhou, general delegate of the FCD, for whom the food transition is "a global societal issue" and "a fight that (large-scale distribution) cannot lead alone."

"The power of supply exists, but it is not the only one. We must not absolve consumers of their responsibilities," she believes.

Elsewhere in Europe, examples exist. The Belgian-Dutch retail giant Ahold Delhaize, for example, claimed to offer 44.1% plant-based protein in its supermarkets in the Netherlands by 2023.

Since the 2021 Climate Law, France has been planning to introduce environmental labeling on all food products to better inform consumers, similar to the Nutri-Score.

But in the draft Food, Nutrition and Climate Strategy (SNANC) put out for consultation by the government at the beginning of April, two years late, there is now only talk of a voluntary display.